Magical musical tour: Youthful Paul McCartney rocks KeyArena

Who was that young man on the KeyArena stage singing Beatles, Wings and Paul McCartney songs Thursday night?

It couldn't have been a 63-year-old man.

Paul McCartney looked remarkably young — especially following the wrinkly Stones, who played the same place Sunday — and sounded much the same as he did in the Beatles, many years ago. He fit right in with the four young guys in his band (the hair dye helped), and had even more energy.

Compared to the Stones show, which featured whiz-bang effects, including a stage that floated across the room, McCartney's performance emphasized music. The staging was impressive, especially the massive, busy lighting effects and creative use of video screens, including giant ones behind the stage.

The bright lights often shone into the audience, which seemed to unite McCartney with the fans. "Let me drink this in," he said, his eyes sweeping the whole packed hall.

The generous, 36-song set included 24 Beatles songs, highlights of Wings' career and cuts from his solo albums, including four from the new "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard."

He saluted the other Beatles, which got a standing ovation. The set featured the first song they ever recorded, "In Spite of All the Danger." Perhaps as a tribute to Seattle's own Jimi Hendrix, McCartney, on guitar rather than his usual bass, added a bit of "Foxy Lady" to Wings' "Let Me Roll It."

Review


Thursday night, KeyArena, Seattle

The show opened with a DJ spinning deconstructed, remixed McCartney songs for 20 minutes, followed by an excellent 11-minute film on McCartney's life and career, with his own narration.

McCartney and his four-piece band opened with "Magical Mystery Tour," as the entire crowd leaped to its feet.

He followed with the weird, obscure "Flaming Pie," the propulsive "Jet," a sweet "I'll Get You" and a song McCartney noted he played at the Super Bowl in February, "Drive My Car," with speeding race cars on the big screens.

"Hello, Sea-at-le," McCartney said, promising a long night of music. "We have come to rock you and rock you we will!"

He wasn't kidding.

Among songs that energized the big, multigenerational crowd — the two kids in front of me in $250 seats, who couldn't have been older than 12, were ecstatic — were "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Fixing a Hole," "Good Day Sunshine," "Band on the Run" and "Back In The U.S.S.R."

McCartney played piano on several songs, including a moving "Hey Jude," with his bandmates supplying fine harmonies and the audience singing the "nah nah nah nahs" with Sir Paul conducting.

The main set concluded with the big production number, the bombastic — literally, with booming pyro — "Live and Let Die."

The two encores consisted of high-energy Beatles songs. The first opened with his masterpiece, "Yesterday," and rocked with "Get Back" and "Helter Skelter."

The second opened with the early Beatles' "Please Please Me," followed by the wise "Let It Be," and ended with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "The End."

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com